Bad roof

About 4 1/5 weeks ago while on a trip the front 5 or 6 ft of my roof bubbled up to the point it tore around the front vent and antenna. I patched that to finish the trip and it tore more before I got home. I patched it at the advice of my dealer until I could get home. I took it to my dealer 3 weeks ago and he said I would get a new roof. He had one in the shop getting a new roof and had 2 more in front of me to get new roofs because of the same or similar problems. I called today and was told they had not gotten to mine yet and they hoped to have it done by 1st of Nov. as I need it then for a scheduled trip. These 5th wheels are all less than a couple years old and are all Wildcats. Forest River has approved a new roof for me, it is just the dealer finding time to put it on. No reason has been given as to why this happened. This could have been posted under is Forest Rivers quality control lacking. I did not take any photos or I would post them. I hope no one else is having these kind of roof problems. The only reason I learned of the problem was I was following my brother on my trip and he said it looked like a large balloon attached to a 5th wheel following him.

Was this the Cat that other member saw on there trips and posted on the Forum .;I
I hope it all works out well and you get a good repair job done
Sean

I do not think so as I went from St Louis, mo to Destin Fl and back last two weeks in September. My dealer said it would be a better install than from the factory, I just hope it will be ready the 1st week of Nov.

Where do you go for service?

Hopefully your dealers technician will do a much better job than the flunkys did at the factory. Best of luck to you.

That seems to happen to all brands. I've seen lots of balloons attached to different branded campers. Some new some older looking models.

I deal with Buff's RV in Festus, Mo. He said sometimes it is very difficult to find how air is getting under the rubber roof. He has always done the hard repairs to all my trs in the past and has always done good. I am lucky because I never usually have repairs that I can't do myself, but he has done the ones I can't or that are under warranty.

Do you know if the others in for roofs are all 2010 models or of different years. I'm wondering if there was a glue problem.

It has been posted earlier that the roofs are not glued from the factory. Where mine tore, there was no glue under the rubber. I do not know what years the others in the shop are. My brother had a 2004 WC 29RLS and the front part like mine, also blew up. The dealer just pulled that portion back and just glued that area. His was not under warranty and was not torn. I am getting a complete roof because it tore and needs patches. The dealer will not patch it as it is under warranty. If it wasn't under warranty, it may have just been patched. Still hoping to get it back by Nov. 1st.

bpdlk33 wrote:I deal with Buff's RV in Festus, Mo. He said sometimes it is very difficult to find how air is getting under the rubber roof. He has always done the hard repairs to all my trs in the past and has always done good. I am lucky because I never usually have repairs that I can't do myself, but he has done the ones I can't or that are under warranty.

I dont think air gets under the membrane. Air traveling faster over the top surface creates a higher pressure area under the roof and results in lift, just like aircraft wings do. So its not so much that air gets under it as it is the air above it is at a lower pressure. Just like blowing up a balloon.

Well, I went to my dealers yesterday and my 5th wheel is in the shop. Every thing is off the roof. The tech told me it would be ready by next Wed or Thur, can not wait. He told me he has done about 50 or more of these and that there was no brand worse than others. While at the shop the rubber membrane was delivered. He is scheduled to start installing it today. Great!

Got the cat back and it looks good. Looks like Buffs RV did a good job. Just got back from ten days in the woods and had a little rain. No leaks yet and still looks smooth. Going to Branson a week from tomorrow for six days. Looking forward to that. Branson will probably be last trip till March, for a horse fest in Springfield, Mo. Staying at Table rock St Park in Branson, a very nice park.

I am glad that it has gone well, lets hope that is the last problem that ever occurs on your 5er
Sean